Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Terminology

This set of flashcards provides terminology relevant to Bloodstain Pattern Analysis for educational and review purposes.

Accompanying Drop

A small blood drop produced as a by-product of drop formation.

Altered Stain

A bloodstain with characteristics that indicate a physical change has occurred.

Angle of Impact

The acute angle (alpha), relative to the plane of a target, at which a blood drop strikes the target.

Area of Convergence

The area containing the intersections generated by lines drawn through the long axes of individual stains that indicates in two dimensions the location of the blood source.

Backspatter Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from blood drops that traveled in the opposite direction of the external force applied; associated with an entrance wound created by a projectile.

Blood Clot

A gelatinous mass formed by a complex mechanism involving red blood cells, fibrinogen, platelets, and other clotting factors.

Bloodstain

A deposit of blood on a surface.

Bloodstain Pattern

A grouping or distribution of bloodstains that indicates through regular or repetitive form, order, or arrangement the manner in which the pattern was deposited.

Bubble Ring

An outline within a bloodstain resulting from air in the blood.

Cessation Cast-off Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from blood drops released from an object due to its rapid deceleration.

Directionality

The characteristic of a bloodstain that indicates the direction blood was moving at the time of deposition.

Directional Angle

The angle (gamma) between the long axis of a spatter stain and a defined reference line on the target.

Edge Characteristic

A physical feature of the periphery of a bloodstain.

Expiration Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from blood forced by airflow out of the nose, mouth, or a wound.

Flow Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from the movement of a volume of blood on a surface due to gravity or movement of the target.

Forward Spatter Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from blood drops that traveled in the same direction as the impact force.

Insect Stain

A bloodstain resulting from insect activity.

Mist Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from blood reduced to a spray of micro-drops as a result of the force applied.

Parent Stain

A bloodstain from which a satellite stain originated.

Perimeter Stain

An altered stain that consists of the peripheral characteristics of the original stain.

Pool

A bloodstain resulting from an accumulation of liquid blood on a surface.

Projected Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from the ejection of a volume of blood under pressure.

Satellite Stain

A smaller bloodstain that originated during the formation of the parent stain as a result of blood impacting a surface.

Saturation Stain

A bloodstain resulting from the accumulation of liquid blood in an absorbent material.

Serum Stain

The stain resulting from the liquid portion of blood (serum) that separates during coagulation.

Splash Pattern

A bloodstain pattern resulting from a volume of liquid blood that falls or spills onto a surface.

Target

A surface onto which blood has been deposited.

Void

An absence of blood in an otherwise continuous bloodstain or bloodstain pattern.